Modular walling system, components and methods

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a modular walling system. The system includes a plurality of primary structural members. Each primary structural member has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an outer wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the outer wall defining surface. The system further includes a securing means which is configured to apply a securing force to retain pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship. The securing means is configured to secure adjacent flanges of respective pairs of the primary structural members such that the adjacent flanges are held together in secure face-to-face abutment by the securing force. A primary corner member having a solid construction is connectable between a first primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a first direction, and a second primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a second direction.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to building systems and in particular to modular building systems for single and multi-storey residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

The invention has been developed primarily as a modular walling system for use in low rise buildings having one, two or three levels or storeys and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use and could be readily adapted for use in buildings having four or more levels or storeys such as, for example, residential and office towers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following discussion of the prior art has been provided in order to place the invention in an appropriate technical context and allow the advantages of it to be more fully appreciated. However, any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should not be considered as an express or implied admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.

A variety of methods and systems have been developed for the construction of both residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The systems used often vary depending on whether the building is a single storey, low-rise or high-rise building.

However, many building systems are inefficient to construct requiring highly skilled labour and are thus highly expensive. Problems with existing building systems include the use of wet trade processes and other complex construction techniques, concerns over environmental issues relating to the negative impact of pollution, and the high costs associated with machinery and labour. In addition, building systems must comply with strict building codes.

With these issues in mind there is a continuing need to reduce the cost of construction processes whilst improving or at least maintaining the performance levels required by the building codes.

The conventional cavity masonry wall is an example of a two-leaf wall which is connected by masonry ties. A stud wall with interior and/or exterior sheeting, which are mechanically connected, is an example of an attempt to reduce the cost of on-site labour.

The cost of labour associated with in-situ construction of multi-layered walls is necessarily dependent on the time required to complete the assembly process. In particular, these costs primarily depend on the speed of assembly of each layer. Accordingly, there is a desire to simplify the process of erecting a building so as to reduce the time required to complete a construction and thus reduce the associated labour costs.

Currently available modular building systems have a number of inherent problems ranging from a lack of structural integrity to the inability to be readily adapted to various designs to having relatively complex arrangements and high numbers of component parts.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In broad terms, the present invention provides a modular walling system including a plurality of primary structural members and a securing means for securing adjacent primary structural members together to form a structural wall section.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular walling system, including:

a plurality of primary structural members, each primary structural member having a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with a main web having an outer wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the outer wall defining surface; and

securing means configured to retain pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship, wherein the securing means secures adjacent flanges of respective pairs of the primary structural members such that the adjacent flanges are held together in secure face-to-face abutment.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular walling system, including:

a plurality of primary structural members, each primary structural member having a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an outer wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the outer wall defining surface;

securing means configured to apply a securing force to retain pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship, the securing means being configured to secure adjacent flanges of respective pairs of the primary structural members such that the adjacent flanges are held together in secure face-to-face abutment; and

a primary corner member having a solid construction, wherein the primary corner member is connectable between a first primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a first direction, and a second primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a second direction.

For ease of description, the phrase “structural wall section” will be used herein to refer to two or more primary structural members which have been secured together.

Preferably, the securing means is configured to retain pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship such that the respective outer wall defining surfaces are generally contiguous. Preferably, the side-by-side outer wall defining surfaces define a planar base surface to which a desired wall finish can be applied. In other embodiments, the primary structural members and/or the securing means are configured such that the respective outer wall defining surfaces of a pair of retained primary structural members are stepped, staggered or offset relative to one another to provide a desired aesthetic effect.

Preferably, each primary structural member is configured to be a load bearing member of the walling system such that the primary structural members transfer the vertical load acting on the wall to the ground or foundation on which the wall is constructed. Each primary structural member is preferably longitudinal or elongate. Preferably, each primary structural member has a length equal to the desired height of the wall so as to extend from the ground to the desired roof height or floor to ceiling height (or the height corresponding to one level or storey of the building).

Preferably, the main web and the two flanges of each primary structural member are the same length. In some embodiments, the main web and the two flanges are formed to have the same thickness as each other. In some embodiments, the thickness of the main web is less than the thickness of each flange. In certain embodiments, the ratio of the thickness of each flange to the thickness of the main web is approximately 3:1, 2.5:1, 2:1, 1.5:1 or 1:1. In other embodiments, the thickness of the main web is greater than the thickness of each flange.

In some embodiments, each primary structural member includes a reinforcing element extending between the main web of the channel and each side flange, thereby to enhance the structural integrity of the respective primary structural member. Preferably, each reinforcing element is arranged or associated with an inner corner formed between the main channel and the respective side flange. In some embodiments, each reinforcing element is a separate element connected between the main channel and the respective side flange. In some embodiments, each primary structural member has a region of increased thickness adjacent each inner corner, thereby to define the respective reinforcing element. In some embodiments, the region of increased thickness is associated with the main web. In some embodiments, each end of the main web tapers away from its inner surface such that each end of the main web is thicker than a central portion of main web, thereby to define the respective reinforcing elements.

Preferably, the flanges of each primary structural member extend generally normal (or perpendicular) to the main web or associated outer wall defining surface such that two or more primary structural members can be secured together to form a structural wall section having a generally planar outer wall surface of a desired length (or span). In some embodiments, the flanges may have an outer flange surface which extends normal to the outer wall defining surface and an inner flange surface which is angled relative to the outer flange surface for setting a desired corner configuration or angle. The planar structural wall section can be configured to be either an external wall section or an internal wall section of a building.

In some embodiments, a primary corner member is connectable between the primary structural member at the end of a first structural wall section and the primary structural member at the end of a second structural wall section. Preferably, the primary corner member has a first surface against which the first structural wall section can be mounted and a second surface against which the second structural wall section can be mounted, wherein the first structural wall section extends at a predetermined angle relative to the second structural wall section. In some embodiments, the first and second surfaces of the primary corner module are arranged at 90 degrees to each other. In some embodiments, the first surface of the primary corner member has substantially the same width as the length of the side flanges of the primary structural members. In some embodiments, the second surface of the primary corner member has substantially the same width as the length of the side flanges of the primary structural members. In some embodiments, primary corner module has an (elongate) recess between the first and second surfaces. The recess may be advantageously configured to provide additional space to facilitate mounting of a secondary wall section, particularly during the mounting of those sections forming internal corners. Preferably, the recess extends along the length of the primary corner module. The recess is preferably L-shaped. Preferably, each primary corner member is formed as a solid construction (e.g. as opposed to a channel or hollow member). In some embodiments, each primary corner member is formed from a solid homogeneous mixture. The provision of a solid primary corner member is particularly advantageous for enhancing the structural integrity of a structural wall section.

Preferably, the first surface of the primary corner member has one or more holes arranged to align with the holes in the flange of the respective primary structural member, wherein a threaded fastener can pass through the holes in the flange of the primary structural member and threadedly engage the holes in the first surface of the primary corner member, thereby to secure the primary corner member thereto. Preferably, two or more threaded fasteners are used to secure the primary corner member to the first structural wall section.

Preferably, the second surface of the primary corner member has one or more holes arranged to align with the holes in the flange of the respective primary structural member, wherein a threaded fastener can pass through the holes in the flange of the primary structural member and threadedly engage the holes in the second surface of the primary corner member, thereby to secure the primary corner member thereto. Preferably, two or more threaded fasteners are used to secure the primary corner member to the second structural wall section.

The provision of threaded fasteners for securing the structural wall sections to the solid primary corner member is particularly advantageous for further enhancing the structural integrity of a structural wall section.

Preferably, the primary corner member has a first outer surface which is adapted to be substantially flush with the outer surface of the first structural wall section when the primary corner member is fastened thereto.

Preferably, the primary corner member has a second outer surface which is adapted to be substantially flush with the outer surface of the second structural wall section when the primary corner member is fastened thereto.

In certain preferred embodiments, the primary structural members are formed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel, timber, plastic, concrete, and fibre cement. It will of course be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the primary structural members are not limited to being formed of the above listed materials but may be formed of any suitable building material, including naturally occurring and man-made materials. The primary structural modules are preferably formed by a moulding, casting or extruding process.

In some preferred forms of the walling system, each primary structural member may be formed of the same material. However, in other preferred forms, some of the plurality of primary structural members can be formed of one material whilst the other primary structural members can be formed of one or more different materials to enable various aesthetic appearances to be achieved, or to combat the expected climatic and/or environmental conditions of a particular location and/or side of a building.

In certain embodiments, the flanges of each primary structural member include a linear array of apertures, each aperture being configured for accommodating an associated securing means. The apertures are preferably equally spaced apart. The distance between the top of the flange and the first aperture is preferably less than the equidistant spacing between the apertures. Similarly, the lower most or bottom aperture is preferably located at a distance above the bottom of the associated flange which is less than the equidistant spacing between the apertures.

It will be appreciated that the provision of a linear array of equally spaced apart apertures enables the securing means to be secured to a particular or selected one of the apertures, as desired. The arrays of apertures also ensure that the primary structural members can be readily cut to a desired length to suit a particular building application. Accordingly, the modular building system can be readily made to suit a particular design, rather than having the design of a building dictated by the parts of the building system.

The linear array of equally spaced apart apertures also enables a structural wall section to be formed with primary structural members of varying lengths. A range of lengths can be used to provide a desired aesthetic effect and/or to readily form openings, such as door and window openings, in the structural wall section. In certain embodiments, cut-outs can also be made in the primary and secondary structural members to form the window and door openings.

Preferably, each aperture is a through opening. In preferred embodiments, each aperture is square, rectangular, circular or other suitable polygonal shape. In some embodiments, each aperture is configured to correspond to or otherwise complements the size and/or shape of the securing means (or portion of the securing means; e.g. the pin or shaft of the securing means). The through openings are preferably arranged such that, when pairs of primary structural members are in face-to-face abutment, the apertures of adjacent flanges are aligned, more preferably, coaxially aligned to define a passage for receiving a portion of the securing means.

Preferably, the securing means includes a locking member and a locking element securable to a securing formation at the distal end of the locking member. The apertures in the flanges of the primary structural members are preferably configured to have complementary configurations to that of the locking member (e.g. tie). In one preferred embodiment, the tie is in the form of a locking pin having a head and a shaft extending from the head, and the locking element is in the form of a wedge. The securing formation at the end of the locking member is preferably in the form of a slot, the slot being configured to securely receive and retain the wedge in locking engagement.

In other embodiments, the locking member may be in the form of a headless pin or key and includes a securing formation at each end. The securing formations at the ends of the headless key are preferably in the form of slots, each slot being configured to receive a wedge. In various embodiments, the headless key has a cross-sectional profile which is one of round, rectangular or square. Preferably, the headless key is tapered at both ends.

Preferably, the securing means used to secure adjacent flanges of a pair of primary structural members cooperates with the flanges (e.g. acts against) to securely hold the primary structural members together. Preferably, the locking pin is dimensioned to be inserted into and pass through an aligned pair of apertures formed in the flanges of the primary structural members. Preferably, the head is dimensioned (i.e. enlarged) to limit the extent to which the pin passes through the apertures. The enlarged head also advantageously acts to distribute the force applied to the flange, as described in more detail below.

Preferably, the shaft of the locking pin has a securing or receiving formation in the form of, for example, a slot at its distal end for receiving the wedge. Each locking pin is preferably formed of flat plate material having a constant thickness. The cross-sectional profile of the shaft is preferably one of rectangular or square. It is also preferred that the head of the locking pin be formed of flat plate material and have the same thickness as the locking pin. Preferably, the head of the pin is generally rectangular or square in shape. In such embodiments, the apertures formed in the flanges of the primary (and secondary structural members have the same cross-sectional profile as the shaft of the locking pin; that is, the apertures are preferably square or rectangular. The provision of square or rectangular shafts and apertures advantageously assists in preventing rotation of the pin, in use. This is particularly beneficial during the process of constructing a wall section by eliminating the requirement to align the pin, thereby improving the overall rate or efficiency of construction.

The distal end of the locking pin is preferably configured to act as a guide (e.g. rounded, chamfered or tapered) to further facilitate passing the shaft through the respective mounting holes in the support bracket and flanges of the primary structural members.

Preferably, the wedges of the securing means have a tapered profile such that one end is wider than the other. It will be appreciated that the tapered profile facilitates driving the wedge into the slot of the ties (or shafts), advantageously providing a self-fitting type characteristic to match the size of the slot. This self-fitting characteristic ensures a simple, efficient and secure locking of each wedge such that the wedge and the pin head (for a headed pin), or both wedges (for a headless pin) tightly engage the respective sides of the flanges, holding it in place and maintaining the secure face-to-face abutment of the abutting flanges of the primary structural members.

The locking pin head and locking elements (e.g. wedges) of the securing means exert relatively high bearing stresses onto the side faces of the flanges. Preferably, the securing means includes a pair of force distributing elements configured to be mounted on the locking pin such that one is arranged in use between the pin head and the flange of a first primary structural member and the second force distributing element is arranged between the flange of a second adjacent primary structural member and the locking element (e.g. wedge) of the securing means for distributing the respective forces applied by the pin head and locking element on the flange of the associated primary structural member.

Each force distributing element is preferably in the form of a spacer or washer-type member. In some embodiments, each spacer or washer is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve with a through bore through which the shaft can pass for mounting the spacer/washer onto the shaft of the locking member (e.g. pin or tie).

Preferably, pair of force distributing elements (spacers/washers) are arranged in use such that the two adjacent flanges of the primary structural members are tightly held between the head of the pair of spacers/washers. Preferably, each spacer has a bearing surface which is configured to distribute the load applied to the respective faces of the flanges by the securing means. The bearing surfaces preferably are in the form of a plate or disc having an enlarged surface area for distributing the force applied by the securing means across that surface area.

In some embodiments, the spacer has a hollow central cylindrical body. Each spacer includes a first plate or disc member defining its bearing surface at one end of its body and a second plate or disc member at its second end.

Preferably, in each spacer, the second plate or disc has a central groove or channel, the groove or channel having a predetermined depth. Each groove or channel has a width sufficient to enable the head of the locking pin to be at least partially received therein, when the second plate or disc is arranged to face towards and be aligned with the head of the locking pin. Similarly, each groove or channel has a width sufficient to enable the locking wedge to be at least partially received therein, when the second plate or disc is arranged to face towards and be aligned with the locking wedge. It will be appreciated that the provision of the central groove or channel in the second plate or disc advantageous enables the distance between the pair of spaces to be increased, thereby to facilitate the connection or installation of additional elements thereto (e.g. floor brackets, roof brackets and the like). Furthermore, it is possible to use a locking pin of a single size for each location at which a securing means is required, as opposed to requiring different sized pins. This provides advantages both in terms of reducing the number of component parts required to provide a complete system and during installation as workers are not required to waste time trying to identify which size locking pin is required for a particular purpose.

Preferably, each spacer/washer is formed to have the same (external) shape/profile.

Preferably, the pair of force distributing elements defines a mounting formation for mounting secondary structural members to the structural wall section. In certain embodiments, the cylindrical central bodies of the spacers define mounting surfaces for the secondary structural members, which together define the mounting formation.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the securing means (i.e. the locking pin, pair of spacers and wedge assembly) acts in combination with the secure face-to-face abutment of the flanges of the primary structural members to enhance the overall in-plane shear capacity of the wall. In particular, when the load-bearing structural wall section is subjected to external forces (e.g. earthquake loads, wind loads) such that it is in racking shear, the abutting flanges of the primary structural members together with the securing means resists in-plane forces shear of the wall, thereby to inhibit potential failure of the wall.

In some embodiments, primary corner members are securable to the end of a structural wall section. Each primary corner member is generally L-shaped. Preferably, each primary corner member has a first flange securable to the adjacent flange of the primary structural member at the end of the structural wall section and a second flange having an outer corner defining surface extending perpendicular to the first flange.

The first flange preferably has a linear arrange of apertures for cooperating with the securing means. The linear array of apertures in the first flange of each primary corner member preferably has the same configuration as the array of apertures in the flanges of the primary structural members. Preferably, the securing means is located in the second aperture down from the top and the second aperture up from the bottom to secure the primary corner member to the adjacent flange of the respective primary structural member.

The second flange of each primary corner member is preferably mitred to facilitate alignment with an adjacent primary corner member of a mating wall section. Preferably, the second flange is mitred at approximately 45 degrees. The mitre is preferably formed in the end of the second flange. Each primary corner member is preferably configured such that it can be used as a right hand corner member or a left hand corner member simply by inverting and rotating the corner member, as required. In other embodiments, specific right- and left-hand primary corner members can be provided. In some embodiments, the second flange may be angled relative to the first flange so that mating second flanges form a desired corner formation.

It will be appreciated that separate planar structural wall sections secured to the normal and tapered flanges of the corner can be used to form the various sides of a building. For example, the planar structural wall sections can be used to form the front, back and sides of a building, as desired.

Preferably, a corner bracket is secured to mating primary corner members to connect the respective structural wall sections together and provide structural integrity to the corner of the building. A corner bracket is preferably secured to the top set of aligned apertures of each primary corner module via a securing means. Preferably, each corner bracket is an L-shaped angle bracket having two (preferably equal length) arms, with a hole in each arm positioned and sized to align with the apertures in the flanges of the primary structural and corner members for allowing passage of the locking pin of the securing means. In certain preferred embodiments, a bracing member extends between the arms of the corner bracket to resist deformation of the corner bracket under load. Each corner bracket is preferably formed of a rigid material, such as a metal.

The first flange of each primary corner member is preferably secured, via the securing means, in face-to-face abutment with a flange of a primary structural wall member at the end of a planar structural wall section.

Preferably, certain of the primary structural members are fixed to the ground or foundation on which the wall is constructed. In certain embodiments, a floor bracket is attached to the flange of a primary structural member and fastened to the foundation by a suitable fastening means. Each floor bracket is preferably an angle bracket having a first portion which sits against the respective flange and a second portion which extends from the first portion so as to sit (preferably flush) on the foundation. Preferably, the first portion has at least one hole so that the tie of the securing means can pass through to secure the floor bracket to the flange and the second portion has a hole through which a fastening member such as an anchor bolt can pass to secure the floor bracket and thus the primary structural member to the foundation. In some embodiments, the first portion of the floor bracket has two or more holes arranged side-by-side (or disposed laterally to each other), each hole being configured to receive the tie (or shaft of the locking pin), thereby to provide a means for laterally adjusting the position in which the floor bracket is installed relative to the structural member (or panel).

The floor brackets are advantageously configured and arranged in use to resist forces applied to the primary structural members (or structural wall section) such as uplift forces acting on the roof which transfer to the structural wall section and would otherwise act to move the structural wall/primary panels relative to the floor or foundation. The floor brackets also provide shear resistance when resisting the lateral loads arising from external forces such as wind and earthquake forces. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a floor bracket need not be secured to each primary structural member. For example, in certain preferred embodiments, a floor bracket is secured to every fourth primary structural member. A floor bracket is also preferably secured to each end member to which a corner member is secured. It will be appreciated that additional floor brackets can be used in, for example, earthquake or cyclone prone zones to increase the structural integrity of the wall. In such embodiments, it may be desired to secure a floor bracket to the respective flange of each primary structural member. In some embodiments, the first portion of the floor bracket has a predetermined length, which is less than the length of the structural panels. For example, the length may be in the range of 20 cm to 60 cm. In some embodiments, the first portion of the floor bracket has a length which is substantially the same length as the length of the structural panels. Such embodiments are particularly advantageous for providing enhanced bracing in earthquake or cyclone prone zones.

Preferably, one or more secondary structural members are mounted on the securing means to form a secondary wall surface of the modular walling system. The secondary structural members are advantageously configured to provide a generally planar secondary wall surface. Preferably, the secondary structural members are mounted such that a wall cavity is provided between the primary and secondary structural members of the building system. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the wall cavity can be used to accommodate a range of building service equipment such as, for example, electrical and plumbing lines, and/or insulation.

Each secondary structural member is preferably a load bearing member of the modular walling system. In some embodiments, one or more of the secondary structural members are arranged as non-load bearing members. In certain embodiments, the secondary structural members act as internal cladding members.

Preferably, each secondary structural member advantageously has the same configuration as each primary structural member. Each secondary structural member preferably has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an inner wall defining surface and a pair of flanges extending away from the inner wall defining surface.

Preferably, a mounting means is provided for interconnecting the associated primary structural members with the secondary structural members such that the secondary structural members are held in fixed spaced-apart relation relative to the primary structural members. In some preferred embodiments, the mounting means enables the secondary structural members to be mounted onto the securing means connecting the primary structural members.

Preferably, the mounting means includes a plurality of support brackets. Each support bracket is preferably releasably mountable to a respective secondary structural member. Preferably, each support bracket has a main plate with two outer arms and two inner arms extending outwardly from the main plate, the two outer arms being adapted for connecting the support bracket to respective flanges of a secondary structural member and the two inner arms defining engaging means for engaging the securing means to interconnect the secondary structural member with the primary structural members. Each support bracket is preferably configured such that the inner and outer arms extend in the same direction as the flanges of the secondary structural member to which the support bracket is attached.

Each of the two outer arms preferably has a protruding lug or tab dimensioned to fit into an aperture in a flange of a secondary structural member to mount the support bracket. Preferably, each lug or tab is formed within the respective outer arm such that it is spaced from the free distal end of the associated outer arm. In some embodiments, each lug or tab is centrally located within the respective outer arm. In some embodiments, the distance between the free distal end of the respective outer arm and the lug is greater than the distance between the lug and the main plate of the support bracket. In some embodiments, each lug or tab is formed by bending or folding a predetermined portion of the material forming the outer arm outwardly. In some embodiments, each lug has a round distal end, thereby to facilitate engage with an aperture in the flange of the respective secondary structural member. In some embodiments, each lug or tab is generally semi-circular in shape. The outer arms are preferably resiliently and outwardly biased to assist in maintaining the tab in the respective aperture of the flange to which it is mounted, wherein the outer arms move inwardly against the bias to fit and position the bracket during mounting.

In some embodiments, the two inner arms are the same length as the two outer arms. In some embodiments, the two inner arms are shorter than the two outer arms. In some embodiments, the two inner arms are longer than the two outer arms. Each inner arm preferably has a hook-type formation for hooking the secondary member onto the securing means of the primary structural members. The hook-type formation is configured to point or open downwardly such that the inner arms sit on top of the pair of spacers of the securing means, in use. Preferably each hook formation is generally J-shaped, with its distal end being shorter than its proximal end (i.e. the side closest to the main plate of the bracket).

Preferably, each inner arm includes resiliently flexible holding tabs for exerting a (lateral) gripping force to the respective flange of the primary structural members about which the inner arms are arranged, in use. In some embodiments, each holding tab is formed by (inwardly) folding a portion of the respective inner arm.

In some embodiments, each inner arm has an associated stiffening element for stiffening the respective inner arm, thereby to enhance the capacity of the inner arms to support the associated secondary structural panel, is use.

Preferably, two support brackets are connected to each secondary structural member, each support bracket being mounted in apertures corresponding with the position of the securing means. In some embodiments, each support bracket is a one-piece construction. In other embodiments, the main plate and the outer arms arm formed from a first piece of material, and the two inner arms are formed from a second piece of material and connected to the main plate.

It will be appreciated that the support bracket provides the means for linking or connecting together the load bearing primary structural wall section and the secondary cladding wall section of the modular walling system, and retains the desired spaced relationship therebetween.

In some embodiments, one or more support brackets may include an accessory mount connected thereto, thereby to facilitate mounting of building service equipment (e.g. plumbing pipes or lines, electrical conduits, data cables and the like). In some embodiments, the accessory mount is arranged between an outer arm and an inner arm of the support bracket. Preferably, an accessory mount is arranged between the outer arm and inner arm on the left side of the support bracket and an accessory mount is arranged between the outer arm and inner arm on the right side of the support bracket. In some embodiments, each accessory mount is generally L-shaped and arranged so as to form, with the respective inner and outer arms, a passage through which the building service equipment can pass.

Preferably, the secondary structural members (cladding members) are configured such that the flanges are spaced to lie at approximately the midpoint of the respective primary structural members of the pair of primary structural members to which the cladding member is mounted. The cladding members are preferably mounted to each pair of abutting flanges of the primary structural members such that the inner wall defining surfaces are generally contiguous, wherein the outer flanges of adjacent cladding members are close to or in face-to-face abutment to thereby provide the generally planar secondary wall surface. The face-to-face abutment of the flanges of the primary and secondary members advantageously provides a self-bracing feature enhancing the structural integrity of the primary and secondary wall sections, respectively.

The secondary structural members are preferably formed of any suitable cladding material selected from the group consisting of steel, timber, plastic, concrete, and fibre cement. It will of course be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the secondary structural members are not limited to being formed of the above listed materials but may be formed of any suitable building material, including naturally occurring and man-made materials.

In certain preferred embodiments, the secondary structural members include end modules for forming an end wall surface for the secondary wall surface. Each end module preferably has a generally L-shaped profile wherein the end module has a flange for abutting against the flange of the next adjacent cladding member, and an end wall surface defining panel extending from the flange to provide a square end to the secondary (inner) wall. Preferably, each end module is essentially half a cladding member. The flange of each end module preferably has a linear array of apertures for cooperating with the securing means so that the flange is securable to the adjacent flange of the secondary structural member at the end of the secondary wall section. In some embodiments, one or more of the end modules are configured to have a predetermined reduced length which is less than the height of the associated level or storey of the building (e.g. floor to ceiling height or the height of a full size secondary structural panel), whereby the reduced height end module can be used to facilitate the formation of an opening such as a window or door opening in the secondary wall section. Preferably, a pair of the reduced height end modules are connected to respective secondary structural members on opposite sides of an opening such that the distal end of the respective (left and right) end wall is substantially aligned with the flange of the corresponding primary structural member, thereby defining the boundary of the (window or door) opening.

In some embodiments, the structural wall sections include one or more bracing elements fixed to the primary structural members to provide structural support for long span sections over wide openings in the structural wall section. The or each bracing element is preferably a diagonal bracing element extending between the flanges of a primary structural member. Preferably, the bracing elements are configured such that they can be secured in place by the same securing means used to hold the primary structural members together. Each bracing element preferably has tabs extending from its ends to facilitate securing of the bracing element to the primary structural member. In certain embodiments, two bracing elements can be arranged in a criss-cross type arrangement in the primary structural members bounding the primary structural members spanning the opening. In various embodiments, the bracing elements can be formed as a wire or thin strap.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, for those structural wall sections without openings, or those where only relatively small spans across door or window openings are required, there is no requirement to secure bracing elements to the primary structural members as the secure face-to-face abutment of the flanges of these members resists lateral forces acting on the wall section in a “self-bracing” manner.

In certain embodiments, the modular building system includes a floor support for supporting a floor such that a multi-storey building can be constructed. The floor can be any suitable floor such as, for example, a concrete or timber floor.

In some preferred embodiments, a roof bracket is secured to an upper end of one or more pairs of adjacent flanges of primary structural members for supporting a roof structure on the structural wall section. Preferably, a roof bracket is secured to every fourth pair of adjacent flanges. Additional roof brackets can be used in earthquake or cyclone prone zones. A roof bracket is preferably secured to each primary structural member to which a primary corner module is secured. Each roof bracket is preferably secured in place via the same securing means used to secure together the respective pair of adjacent flanges. Preferably, each roof includes a flat plate having at least one hole, which is sized and positioned such that it can be aligned with a pair of aligned apertures in abutting flanges of the primary structural members so as to allow passage of the tie pin of the securing means therethrough. In some embodiments, the roof bracket has two or more holes arranged side-by-side (or disposed laterally to each other), each hole being configured to receive the tie (or shaft of the locking pin), thereby to provide a means for laterally adjusting the position in which the roof bracket is installed relative to the structural member (or panel). Preferably, a (threaded) bar is securely attached to the flat bar and arranged such that in use it extends upwardly therefrom and stands proud of the primary structural members of the wall section, thereby to enable a roof or top plate to be mounted thereto.

Preferably, the thickness of the roof bracket corresponds to the depth of the channel of the second side of the primary washer, such that the primary washer can be mounted with the channel facing towards the head of the pin, wherein the pin can be received in the channel of the washer such that the effective length of the pin remains the same when used to install a roof bracket. This is particularly advantageous as it enables the same sized pin to be used for each instance where a securing means or pin is required within the system.

In some embodiments, a floor channel is positioned on the floor or foundation, wherein an operatively lower end of the primary structural panels of the respective structural wall section is received therein. Preferably, an operatively lower end of the secondary structural panels of the respective structural wall section is received in the floor channel. Preferably, the floor channel is secured to the respective foundation, floor or slab by one or more floor channel fasteners (e.g. anchor bolts extending through holes in the floor channel). Preferably, the floor channel is generally C-shaped.

In some embodiments, a top channel is secured to (an underside of) the respective roof, slab or ceiling of the level or storey of the building, wherein an operatively upper end of the primary structural panels of the respective structural wall section is received therein. Preferably, an operatively upper end of the secondary structural panels of the respective structural wall section is received in the top channel. Preferably, the top channel is secured to the underside of the respective roof, slab, floor or ceiling one or more top channel fasteners (e.g. anchor bolts extending through holes in the top channel). Preferably, the top channel is generally C-shaped.

Preferably, the top channel is aligned with the floor channel. It will be appreciated that the floor and roof channels are particularly advantageous for multi-storey buildings as they can be respectively mounted to the foundation, floor or slab or ceiling of the respective storey or level, thereby to define a track for each wall section.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular walling system for forming a structural wall, the system including:

a plurality of primary structural members adapted to be arranged in side-by-side relation to form a primary side wall surface of the structural wall;

a plurality of secondary structural members adapted to be arranged in side-by-side relation to form a secondary side wall surface of the structural wall; and

a plurality of support brackets, each support bracket being configured to interconnect one or more primary structural members with one or more secondary structural members such that the secondary structural members are held in fixed spaced-apart relation relative to the primary structural members.

In certain preferred embodiments, the primary structural members define an outer wall surface and the secondary structural members define an inner wall surface, in use. In other embodiments, the primary structural members define an inner wall surface and the secondary structural members define an outer wall surface, in use.

Preferably, the primary structural members are configured to act as load bearing members of the structural wall. In various preferred embodiments, one or more of the secondary structural members can act as load bearing members. In other preferred forms, the secondary structural members act as non-load bearing members of the structural wall. In yet other embodiments, a combination of load bearing and non-load bearing secondary structural members are used.

Each primary structural member preferably has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with a primary wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the wall defining surface. Preferably, each secondary structural member has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with a secondary wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the wall defining surface.

The modular walling system preferably includes securing means for securing pairs of primary structural members in side-by-side relation. Preferably, the securing means secures each pair of primary structural members such that the respective primary wall defining surfaces are substantially contiguous.

Preferably, the securing means secures together pairs of primary structural members such that adjacent flanges are held in secure face-to-face abutment.

The securing means preferably includes a pin (or tie) for passing through adjacent flanges of the primary structural members and a locking element securable to the end of the pin to secure the pair of primary structural members together. In some embodiments, the pin has a head at one end and a receiving formation at the other end for receiving the locking element. The receiving formation is preferably a slot and the locking element is preferably a wedge. In other forms, the pin is headless and has a receiving formation at each end, preferably a slot at each end for receiving a wedge. Each wedge is preferably tapered to provide a self-fitting characteristic to the pin and wedge combination.

Preferably, the securing means includes at least one force distributing element configured to be mounted behind the locking element (e.g. wedge) of the securing means for distributing the force applied by the locking element on the flange of the associated primary structural member. The force distributing element is preferably in the form of a spacer or washer-type member. Preferably, the force distributing element is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve with a through bore for mounting onto the tip end of the shaft of the locking pin.

For embodiments making use of a headed pin it will be appreciated that the head of the pin may act as a force distributing element at that end and the spacer/washer may be used behind the wedge at the other end for distributing the force on that side. In those embodiments employing a headless pin, a spacer/washer may be used behind the wedges at each end of the pin for distributing the forces applied to the respective flanges against which they are abutting.

Preferably, the support brackets retain the primary and secondary structural members such that the primary side wall surface and the secondary side wall surface are substantially parallel to one another.

In certain preferred embodiments, the primary structural members and the secondary structural members have the same cross-sectional profile. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that using primary and secondary structural members of the same general construction (i.e. members having the same cross-sectional profile) advantageously reduces the costs associated with manufacturing the structural members as well as facilitating more efficient in situ construction as the primary and secondary structural members of the same length can be used interchangeably.

Preferably, each support bracket is configured to be attached to an associated structural member. In some embodiments, each support bracket is configured to be attached to a primary structural member. In these embodiments, each support bracket has a mounting means for mounting the primary structural member to one or more opposed secondary structural members. To facilitate mounting of each support bracket to the secondary structural members, a supporting element is preferably associated with the flanges of the secondary structural members, wherein the mounting means engages the supporting element to hold the primary and secondary structural members in the desired spaced-apart relation.

In other embodiments, each support bracket is configured to be attached to a secondary structural member. In these embodiments, each support bracket has a mounting means for mounting the secondary structural member to one or more opposed primary structural members. Preferably, in these embodiments, the mounting means is configured to engage the securing means and mount the respective secondary structural member thereto. The mounting means is preferably a hook-type formation. Preferably, the mounting means is configured to engage (e.g. hook onto) the force distributing element of the securing means (i.e. the pin head and the spacer).

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a support bracket for a modular walling system having primary and secondary structural members, the support bracket including:

a base plate mountable to one of the primary (or secondary) structural members; and

at least one engaging means or connecting member extending from the base plate, the or each connecting member being adapted for connection with a secondary (or primary) structural member so as to interconnect the primary and secondary structural members such that the secondary structural members are held in fixed spaced-apart relation relative to the primary (or secondary) structural members.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a securing means for a modular walling system, the securing means including:

a locking member having an elongate body with a head at its proximal end and a receiving formation at its distal end, the locking member being formed of a flat plate material and having a substantially uniform thickness;

a pair of spacers mountable onto the body of the locking member; and

a locking element receivable in the receiving formation for securely retaining modules of the modular walling system between the pair of spacers, wherein the head and the locking element bear against respective ones of the pair of spacers, in use.

Preferably, the body has a generally planar shaft, with a square or rectangular cross-sectional profile. The distal end of the shaft is preferably configured to define a guide for feeding the shaft through flanges of the modules. Preferably, each spacer has the same external shape/profile. Each spacer preferably has a main body and force distributing member at each end of the main body. Preferably, at least one of the force distributing members has a channel adapted to at least partially receive a portion of the head of the locking member and/or the locking element (e.g. wedge).

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a primary corner member as described herein.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a corner system for a modular walling system as described herein.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit of parts for a modular walling system, the kit including:

a plurality of primary structural members; and

securing means as described herein for securing pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship.

The kit preferably includes one or more of the following elements: a plurality of secondary structural members; a plurality of support brackets; a plurality of corner brackets, a plurality of floor brackets, a plurality of roof brackets, securing means as described herein, anchor bolts, wherein the various elements are interconnectable as described herein to form a structural wall of a building.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of erecting a modular walling system, the method including:

standing a pair of primary structural members side-by-side on a foundation; and

securing the pair of primary structural members together with a securing means, the securing means engaging the flanges of the primary structural members.

In embodiments according this aspect, the securing means preferably includes the locking pin, a pair of spacers and a wedge assembly as described herein.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular walling system including:

a plurality of primary structural members, each primary structural member having a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an outer wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the outer wall defining surface;

a plurality of support brackets, the support brackets being configured to retain pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship such that the respective outer wall defining surfaces are generally contiguous; and

securing means for securing each support bracket to adjacent flanges of the respective pairs of primary structural members such that the adjacent flanges are held together in secure face-to-face abutment.

In embodiments according to this aspect of the invention, the support bracket may be a generally U- or channel-shaped bracket configured to extend around the adjacent longitudinal edges of abutting flanges of the primary structural members, more preferably, the primary structural wall members. Each channel-shaped support bracket preferably has a web and two side members extending from the web. Preferably, the side members are spaced apart for close fitting engagement around the abutting flanges.

The side members preferably include mounting holes through which the securing means can secure the support bracket to the adjacent abutting flanges. Preferably, the mounting holes for the securing means are located towards the distal end of the side members such that they can be aligned with the passage of coaxially aligned apertures in the abutting flanges of the primary structural members. The mounting holes are preferably positioned such that the web is spaced from the flanges of the primary structural members to which the support bracket is secured. That is, there is preferably a gap between the ends of the flanges of the primary structural members and the web of the support bracket.

The support brackets can be readily secured to the abutting flanges of the primary structural members via any one of the passages defined by the aligned apertures of the linear array of apertures in the flanges using the securing means discussed below. It will therefore be appreciated that linear array of apertures in the flanges of the primary support members allows the support bracket to be readily relocated to a desired position along the flanges to which it is secured. In other forms, the support bracket is not limited to being secured at one of a number of discrete positions determined by a linear array of apertures, but instead can be advantageously adapted to be securely located at any desired point along the height of the flange such as, for example, by sliding movement along the respective flanges. It will be appreciated that the ability to relocate the support bracket along the length of the flanges greatly enhances the versatility of the modular walling system. In particular, it enables the secondary structural members described below to be mounted to the structural wall sections at various desired positions relative to the primary structural members, including overlapping positions (as opposed to matched height mounting of primary and secondary structural members).

Preferably, at least two support brackets are secured to each pair of abutting flanges, with one support bracket preferably being arranged towards the top of the flanges and one arranged towards the bottom of the flanges. In other forms, each support bracket can be configured to span a predetermined number of passages such that two or more securing means can be used to secure each support bracket to the flanges of the primary structural members. It will thus be appreciated that the support brackets are not restricted to being secured in one particular position on the flanges and thus can be readily positioned to join together primary structural members of different lengths.

In yet other forms, the support brackets can be approximately the same length (height) as the flanges and can include an array of mounting holes corresponding to the array of apertures in the flanges such that two or more securing means can be used to secure a single support bracket to the flanges.

In certain preferred embodiments, the support bracket is formed of a sheet metal such as, for example, mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium. It will of course be appreciated that the support bracket could be formed of other suitable materials not listed above, including plastics.

Preferably, each support bracket includes a mounting formation for supporting a secondary structural member such as for example a cladding member. In certain embodiments, the mounting formation is in the form of a pair of open ended slots, each slot being formed in an upper edge of the respective side member of the support bracket. In other preferred forms, the mounting formation is in the form of openings such as holes in the sides of the support bracket. Preferably, the mounting formation is arranged close to or adjacent the web of the support bracket such that the receiving formation lies between the web of the support bracket and the ends of the flanges to which it is secured.

In other preferred forms, the mounting formation is in the form of a projection extending from a rear surface of the web of the support bracket. The rearward projection is preferably T-shaped, but could be any suitable shape for supporting the secondary structural member.

In order to inhibit rotation of the support bracket about the securing means (and relative to the flanges of the primary structural members), the support brackets can be configured to reduce the size of the gap between the ends of the flanges and the web of the support bracket. Alternatively, the web of the support bracket can be angled such that its lower edge rests against the ends of the flanges whilst still providing a gap at the top for the securing means. Another alternative includes the use of an additional pin through the sides of the support bracket to inhibit rotation of the support bracket relative to the flanges of the primary structural members.

Accordingly, in embodiments of the above aspect of the invention, the support bracket may serve the dual purpose of acting as a linking element between the two halves of the wall, as well as acting as the shear connector between the modules of the load bearing structural wall section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:—

FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a modular walling system according to the invention, wherein the primary structural members forming a structural wall section have a secondary structural member and secondary end module mounted thereto via the support bracket.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a primary structural member for a modular walling system according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a pair of primary structural members secured together with a securing means;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a planar structural primary wall section of the modular walling system with a primary corner element;

FIG. 5 shows a secondary structural member of the modular walling system with two support brackets fitted thereto;

FIG. 6 shows a primary structural wall section and a secondary structural member ready to be mounted thereto;

FIG. 7 shows the primary structural wall section of FIG. 6 with the secondary structural member mounted thereto;

FIG. 8 shows a primary corner element attached to two orthogonal structural wall sections with threaded fasteners;

FIG. 9 shows the corner arrangement of FIG. 8 with secondary structural panels mounted thereto, and a secondary structural member with an end panel attached thereto for forming the internal corner;

FIG. 10 shows a complete wall section with primary and second structural panels, together with a corner module;

FIG. 11 shows an enlarged perspective view of a secondary structural member with mounting brackets mounted thereto and a secondary end module connected via the securing means;

FIG. 12A shows a schematic representation of a wall section with a window and door opening, incorporating secondary half end panels to complete the openings;

FIG. 12 shows a completed modular wall with a window opening;

FIG. 13 shows a planar locking pin of the securing means;

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a spacer of the securing means with a receiving channel on one side;

FIG. 15 shows a locking wedge of the securing means;

FIG. 16 shows the securing means of the modular walling system, including a planar locking pin, pair of spacers with receiving channels, and locking wedge;

FIG. 17 shows an inverted perspective view of a support bracket for interconnecting the primary and secondary structural members;

FIG. 18 shows a floor bracket for connecting the primary structural members to the ground or foundation on which the wall is erected;

FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of the floor bracket of FIG. 18 connected to the foundation with an anchor bolt and to adjacent flanges of a pair of primary structural members via the securing means;

FIG. 20 shows a perspective view of a planar roof bracket of the modular walling system;

FIG. 21 shows a schematic view of the roof bracket of FIG. 20 secured in place over flanges of adjacent primary structural members and secured in place via the securing means;

FIG. 22 shows a plan view of an end of a wall section including a secondary end module attached to an adjacent secondary structural member;

FIG. 23 shows a corner system for interconnecting two primary structural wall sections to form a corner of a building;

FIG. 24 shows a perspective view of the planar locking pin of the securing means;

FIG. 25 shows adjacent flanges of primary structural members secured together with the securing means;

FIGS. 26A-B show perspective views of a top plate cyclone strap and truss cyclone strap, respectively;

FIGS. 27A-B show exemplary embodiments of a top plate roof bracket and a truss roof bracket respectively;

FIG. 28 shows exemplary embodiments of a top channel and floor channel for receiving upper and lower ends of the primary and secondary structural panels, respectively;

FIG. 29 shows various views with respective ends of the primary structural panels received in the top channel and floor channel of FIG. 28 ;

FIG. 29 shows various views with respective ends of the primary structural panels received in the top channel and floor channel of FIG. 28 ;

FIG. 30 shows various views with secondary structural panels being installed and then installed in the top channel;

FIG. 31 shows a front view and top perspective view of an embodiment of a support bracket with accessory mounts to facilitate installation of building services equipment;

FIG. 32 a secondary structural panel with another embodiment of a support bracket with accessory mounts having plumbing lines mounted thereto;

FIG. 33 shows an embodiment of a cyclone bracing floor bracket having substantially the same length as that of the structural panels, with pairs of mounting holes to facilitate lateral adjustment of the mounting position relative to the panel;

FIG. 34 shows an embodiment of a floor bracket having a length which is length that that of the structural panels, with a pair of mounting holes to facilitate lateral adjustment of the mounting position relative to the panel; and

FIG. 35 shows an embodiment of a roof bracket with a pair of mounting holes to facilitate lateral adjustment of the mounting position relative to the panel.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, the invention provides a modular walling system 1 having a plurality of longitudinal primary structural members 2. The modular walling system 1 is preferably assembled and arranged such that the primary structural members 2 form the outer or external load bearing members of the walling system.

As seen in FIG. 2 , each primary structural member 2 has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an outer wall defining surface 3 and two flanges 4 extending away from the outer wall defining surface 3. The flanges 4 preferably extend along the entire length of each primary structural member 2.

Each flange 4 of the primary structural members 2 includes a linear array of apertures in the form of cylindrical through-bores 5 for cooperating with a securing means 6 for securing together pairs of primary structural members. The apertures 5 are equally spaced apart along the length of the respective flange 4. The apertures 5 are arranged such that when pairs of primary structural members 2 are in face-to-face abutment, the apertures 5 of adjacent flanges 4 are coaxially aligned to define a passage for receiving a portion of the securing means 6.

The securing means 6 includes a locking member in the form of a planar locking pin 7 formed of a flat plate material, a pair of spacers 8 and a locking element in the form of a wedge 9. As most clearly shown in FIG. 3 , the securing means 6 is secured to adjacent flanges 4 of a pair of primary structural members 2 to retain the primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship such that the respective outer wall defining surfaces 3 are generally contiguous, thereby defining a generally planar structural wall section.

In the illustrated embodiment, one securing means is securely located towards the top of the abutting flanges 4 and a second securing means is securely located towards the bottom of the flanges 4 to form a structural wall section.

Referring to FIGS. 13 to 16 , the locking pin 7 has a flat or planar shaft body 12 and head 10 at one end and a securing formation in the form of a slot 11 at the other end for receiving the wedge 9. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , the wedge 9 of the securing means has a tapered profile such that one end is wider than the other. It will be appreciated that the tapered profile facilitates driving the wedge 9 into the slot 11 of the locking pin 7 and provides a self-fitting type characteristic to match the size of the slot 11 for secure locking engagement.

In addition, the length of the slot 11 is such that, in combination with the self-fitting characteristic of the wedge 9, additional brackets (e.g. floor or corner brackets) can be secured onto the locking pin 7 without requiring a selection of pins of different lengths to accommodate the thickness of the additional brackets. The wedge 9 simply fits into the available length slot to securely engage the various components and retain these in place.

It can also be seen in FIGS. 13 and 24 that the distal end of the locking pin shaft body 12 is tapered to form a guide 13 for the locking pin 7 to facilitate inserting the pin into the apertures 5 of the flanges 4.

Referring to FIG. 16 , the pair of spacers 8 of the securing means 6 is shown. Each spacer 8 is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve 14 having a through bore 15 for mounting the spacer 8 onto the shaft 12 of the locking pin 7. The cylindrical sleeve 14 has a first plate 16 for distributing the securing force of the securing means 6 applied to the respective flange 4 to which it is secured. The spacer 8 also includes a second stop plate 16′ at the opposite end of the sleeve 14.

As best seen in FIG. 14 , each stop plate 16′ has a central groove or channel formed with a predetermined depth. Each groove or channel 17 has a width sufficient to enable the head 10 of the locking pin 7 to be at least partially received therein, when the second plate or disc 16 is arranged to face towards and be aligned with the head 10 of the locking pin 7. Similarly, each groove or channel 17 has a width sufficient to enable the locking wedge 9 to be at least partially received therein, when the second plate or disc 16 is arranged to face towards and be aligned with the locking wedge. It will be appreciated that the provision of the central groove or channel 17 in the second plate or disc 16 advantageously enables the distance between the pair of spaces to be increased, thereby to facilitate the connection or installation of additional elements thereto (e.g. floor brackets, roof brackets and the like). Preferably, the thickness of the roof and floor brackets corresponds with the depth of the central groove or channel in the side of the washer such that only one washer (i.e. the one closest to the head of the locking pin) needs to be rotated and positioned with the head received therein, thereby to ensure the shaft of the pin can extend through the pair of adjacent flanges to a sufficient extent that the wedge can be received within the slot. In this way it is possible to use a locking pin of a single size for each location at which a securing means is required, as opposed to requiring different sized pins. This provides advantages both in terms of reducing the number of component parts required to provide a complete system and during installation as workers are not required to waste time trying to identify which size locking pin is required for a particular purpose.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 , the pair of spacers 8 together define a mounting means for mounting a secondary structural member 20. The portion of the cylindrical bodies (14) between the respective first and second plates defines a mounting surface 21 on which the secondary structural members 20 can be connected. FIG. 16 shows a complete securing means 6.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 3 the securing means 6 secures a pair of primary structural members 2 together in a side-by-side relationship such that the adjacent flanges 4 are abutting each other and the outer wall defining surfaces 3 form a generally planar outer wall surface. It can be seen that force distributing plates (16) abut against the respective flanges. One securing means 6 is preferably secured to the top or second most upper set of apertures 5 and a second securing means 6 is secured to the bottom second most lower set of apertures 5.

As shown in FIGS. 12-12A, a structural wall section of a desired length can be constructed by securing a number of primary structural members 2 together to form the wall section. The wall section of FIGS. 12-12A includes primary structural members with cut-outs 22 for forming a window opening 23. Additional securing means are preferably fitted to the flanges about the opening for increased structural integrity around the window opening 23. As best shown in FIG. 11 , secondary end panels are used to form internal corners and about a door or window opening (FIG. 12A).

Referring now to FIGS. 8, 9 and 23 , a corner system for adjoining two primary structural wall sections to form a corner of a building is shown. The primary corner member 24 is connectable between the primary structural member at the end of a first structural wall section and the primary structural member at the end of a second structural wall section. The primary corner member 24 has a first surface 25 against which the first structural wall section can be mounted and a second surface 26 against which the second structural wall section can be mounted, wherein the first structural wall section extends at a predetermined angle relative to the second structural wall section. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second surfaces of the primary corner module 24 are arranged at 90 degrees to each other. As seen in FIGS. 8 and 23 , the first surface 25 of the primary corner member 24 has substantially the same width as the length of the side flanges 4 of the primary structural members 2. Similarly, the second surface 26 of the primary corner member 24 has substantially the same width as the length of the side flanges 4 of the primary structural members 2.

The first surface 25 of the primary corner member 24 has one or more holes (not shown) arranged to align with the holes 5 in the flange 4 of the respective primary structural member 2, wherein a threaded fastener 27 can pass through the holes 5 in the flange 4 of the primary structural member 2 and threadedly engage the holes in the first surface 25 of the primary corner member 24, thereby to secure the primary corner member 24 thereto. Preferably, at least two threaded fasteners 27 are used to secure the primary corner member 24 to the first structural wall section.

Similarly, the second surface 26 of the primary corner member 24 has one or more holes (not shown) arranged to align with the holes 5 in the flange 4 of the respective primary structural member 2, wherein a threaded fastener 27 can pass through the holes in the flange of the primary structural member and threadedly engage the holes in the second surface of the primary corner member, thereby to secure the primary corner member thereto. Preferably, at least two threaded fasteners 27 are used to secure the primary corner member 24 to the second structural wall section.

The primary corner member 24 has a first outer surface 28 which is adapted to be substantially flush with the outer surface 3 of the first structural wall section when the primary corner member 24 is fastened thereto, and a second outer surface 29 which is adapted to be substantially flush with the outer surface 3 of the second structural wall section when the primary corner member 24 is fastened thereto.

FIG. 18 shows a floor bracket 33 for connecting primary structural members 2 to the foundation on which the building is constructed. The floor bracket 33 is an L-shaped bracket having a first flange 34 for sitting against the flange 4 of the associated primary structural member 2 and a second flange 35 extending perpendicular to the first flange to rest substantially flush with the foundation. The first flange 34 of the floor bracket 33 has a hole 36 positioned and sized to align with the lower most aperture in the flange 4 and allow passage of a locking pin shaft 12 such that the floor bracket 33 can be secured to the flange 4 via a securing means 6, as shown in FIG. 19 . The second flange 35 has a hole 37 through which an anchor bolt (not shown) can pass for securing the floor bracket 33 to the foundation. A floor bracket 33 is preferably secured to every fourth primary structural member 2. A floor bracket 33 should be secured to each primary structural member 2 connected to a primary corner member 24.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 , it can be seen that each secondary structural member 20 has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile.

In the illustrated embodiment, the primary structural members 2 and the secondary structural members advantageously have the same cross-sectional profile and, preferably, are formed of the same material. The primary structural members 2 and the secondary structural members 20 are arranged with the inner profiles facing each other. The primary and secondary structural sections are offset from each other such that the abutting flanges of adjacent secondary structural members are positioned at approximately the midpoint of the corresponding primary structural member.

It will be appreciated that the use of primary and secondary structural members of the same form reduces manufacturing costs and increases the efficiency of construction of a wall using the modular walling system. The secondary structural members 20 are preferably used to form the inner loading bearing members of the structural wall.

Each secondary structural member 20 has an inner wall defining surface 38 and a pair of flanges 39 extending away from the inner wall defining surface 38.

Referring to FIG. 17 , a support bracket 44 for interconnecting the primary and secondary structural members is shown. As shown in FIG. 5 , a support bracket 44 is mountable to apertures in the flanges of each secondary structural member 20 so as to correspond with the mounting position of the securing means 6 joining the primary structural members 2 together.

The support bracket 44 has a main plate 45 with two outer arms 46 and two inner arms 47. Each outer arm 46 has a protruding lug 48 extending outwardly therefrom and dimensioned to fit into the apertures in the flanges of the secondary structural members. To install the support brackets 44, the outer arms 46 are flexed inwardly to allow the bracket to be pushed in and towards the back of the secondary structural member. When the protruding lugs 48 come into line with the apertures, the outer arms 46 spring outwardly to bear against the respective flange such that lugs enter the aperture to retain the support bracket 44 in position.

The two inner arms 47 are longer than the two outer arms 46 and are configured to have a hook-type formation 53 for hanging the secondary structural member 20 on the mounting surface 21 of the securing means 6. The hook formation 53 faces downwardly so that the inner arms 47 sit on top of the securing means. As most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 , the support bracket 44 interconnects and retains the primary and secondary structural members in a fixed spaced apart relationship such that the outer planar wall surface defined by the primary structural members and the inner planar wall surface defined by the secondary structural members are substantially parallel to each other.

Referring now to FIGS. 20 and 21 , a roof bracket 49 securable via a securing means 6 to the upper end of adjacent flanges 4 of the primary structural members 2 is shown. The roof bracket 49 has a body formed of a flat plate material 50 with a threaded bar 52 fixed thereto so as to extend upwardly and thus enable a roof or top plate to be fixed thereto. The flat plate 50 has a hole 51 positioned and sized to be aligned with the apertures in the flanges so as to allow passage of the locking pin shaft 12 therethrough.

As described above, the flat plate 50 of the roof bracket 49 advantageously has the same thickness as the depth of the channel in the side plate of the washer such that the washer can be mounted with the channel facing towards the head of the locking pin so that a portion of the head is received therein, thereby ensuring that a sufficient portion of the locking pin 7 projects through a pair of flanges that the wedge 9 can still be received in the slot despite the extra material thickness of the roof bracket.

Accordingly, the present invention, at least in its preferred embodiments, provides a robust and versatile modular walling system which can be readily assembled with relatively unskilled labour. The elements of preferred embodiments of the modular walling system can be easily interconnected in a secure fashion to ensure the structural integrity of the assembled building without the need for heavy equipment or tools. Preferred embodiments of the modular walling system reduce the need for wet construction processes thus enabling an assembled wall to be easily dismantled for access to the wall cavity for maintenance and repair of internal building services, or to readily modify the design of the building. The dismantled elements of the system can be re-used due to the use of dry mechanical connections, with no glue or mortar being used. In addition, preferred embodiments of the modular walling system can be advantageously used to construct walls and buildings which have high thermal efficiency ratings. It should also be appreciated that the modular walling system is not limited to producing only the external walls of a building, but could be readily used to construct internal walls throughout a building to, for example, divide a space into one or more areas or rooms as desired. In these and other respects, the invention in its preferred embodiments, represents a practical and commercially significant improvement over the prior art.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. 

1. A modular walling system, including: a plurality of primary structural members, each primary structural member having a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an outer wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the outer wall defining surface; securing means configured to apply a securing force to retain pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship, the securing means being configured to secure adjacent flanges of respective pairs of the primary structural members such that the adjacent flanges are held together in secure face-to-face abutment; and a primary corner member having a solid construction, wherein the primary corner member is connectable between a first primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a first direction, and a second primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a second direction.
 2. A modular walling system according to claim 1, wherein the primary corner member has a first surface against which the first primary structural member can be mounted and a second surface against which the second primary structural member can be mounted such that the first primary structural member extends at a predetermined angle relative to the second primary structural member.
 3. A modular walling system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second surfaces of the primary corner module are arranged to extend at 90 degrees to each other.
 4. A modular walling system according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the first surface of the primary corner member has substantially the same width as the length of the flanges of the primary structural members.
 5. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second surface of the primary corner member has substantially the same width as the length of the flanges of the primary structural members.
 6. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the first surface of the primary corner member has one or more holes arranged to align with the holes in the flange of the respective primary structural member, wherein a threaded fastener can pass through the holes in the flange of the primary structural member and threadedly engage the holes in the first surface of the primary corner member, thereby to secure the primary corner member thereto.
 7. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the second surface of the primary corner member has one or more holes arranged to align with the holes in the flange of the respective primary structural member, wherein a threaded fastener can pass through the holes in the flange of the primary structural member and threadedly engage the holes in the second surface of the primary corner member, thereby to secure the primary corner member thereto.
 8. A modular walling system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing means includes at least one force distributing element which distributes the securing force of the securing means and wherein the force distributing element has a mounting formation configured for mounting a secondary structural member to a secured pair of primary structural members.
 9. A modular walling system according to claim 8, wherein the securing means includes a locking member, a pair of force distributing elements and a locking element securable to a securing formation at the distal end of the locking member, wherein the adjacent flanges are held between the pair of force distributing elements.
 10. A modular walling system according to claim 9, wherein the locking member has a shaft or pin, the shaft or pin being square or rectangular in cross-section and having a constant thickness along its length.
 11. A modular walling system according to claim 10, wherein the locking member includes a head having the same thickness as the shaft or pin.
 12. A modular walling system according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein each force distributing element is in the form of a spacer having a cylindrical sleeve with a through bore through which the shaft can pass for mounting the spacer onto the locking member.
 13. A modular walling system according to claim 12, wherein each spacer includes a first plate defining a first bearing surface at one end of the cylindrical sleeve and a second plate defining a second bearing surface at the other end.
 14. A modular walling system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first plate and second plate has a receiving formation for receiving at least a portion of the head of the locking pin or the locking element when aligned therewith.
 15. A modular walling system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flanges of each primary structural member include a linear array of apertures, each aperture being configured for accommodating an associated securing means.
 16. A modular walling system according to claim 12, wherein the shape of each aperture is configured to correspond to the shape of the securing means.
 17. A modular walling system according to claim 13, wherein the shape of each aperture is square or rectangular.
 18. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein the pair of force distributing elements defines a mounting formation for mounting secondary structural members to the structural wall section, thereby to form a secondary wall surface of the modular walling system.
 19. A modular walling system according to claim 18, wherein a mounting means is provided for interconnecting the associated primary structural members with the secondary structural members such that the secondary structural members are held in fixed spaced-apart relation relative to the primary structural members.
 20. A modular walling system according to claim 19, wherein the mounting means includes a plurality of support brackets, each support bracket being releasably mountable to a respective secondary structural member, and wherein each support bracket has a main plate with two outer arms and two inner arms extending outwardly from the main plate, the two outer arms being adapted for connecting the support bracket to respective flanges of a secondary structural member and the two inner arms defining engaging means for engaging the securing means to interconnect the secondary structural member with the primary structural members.
 21. A modular walling system according to claim 20, wherein one or more of the plurality of support brackets includes an accessory mount connected thereto, thereby to facilitate mounting of building service equipment.
 22. A modular walling system according to claim 21, wherein the accessory mount is arranged between an outer arm and an inner arm of the support bracket.
 23. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein each secondary structural member is configured to be arranged in use such that the associated flanges sit at approximately the midpoint of the respective primary structural members of the pair of primary structural members to which the cladding member is mounted.
 24. A modular walling system according to claim 23, wherein the secondary structural members include end modules for forming an end wall surface for the secondary wall surface.
 25. A modular walling system according to claim 24, wherein each end module has a generally L-shaped profile with a flange for abutting against the flange of the next adjacent cladding member, and an end wall surface defining panel extending from the flange to provide a square end to the secondary wall.
 26. A modular walling system according to any one of the preceding claims, including a floor channel adapted to be positioned on the floor or foundation, wherein an operatively lower end of the primary structural panels of the respective structural wall section is received therein.
 27. A modular walling system according to claim 26, wherein the floor channel is generally C-shaped.
 28. A modular walling system according to any one of the preceding claims, including a top channel adapted to be secured to a roof or ceiling of the level or storey of the building above the floor, wherein an operatively upper end of the primary structural panels of the respective structural wall section is received therein.
 29. A modular walling system according to claim 28, wherein the top channel is generally C-shaped. 